Cécile Robert

Cécile Robert (born c. 1883) was a Swiss long distance swimmer. Due to their many achievements, she and her sister Marthe Robert acquired a certain amount of fame.

Cécile Robert

Cécile Robert (right) and her sister Marthe Robert in 1906
Personal information
Nationality	Swiss
Born	c. 1883 (1883)
Sport
Sport	swimming

Biography

Robert was born in around 1883 as the daughter of a swimming teacher at Lake Neuchâtel. She started with swimming when she was ten years old. She was training with her father and her youngher sister Marthe Robert in Lake Neuchâtel. They swam all year long, even in the winter. She started with training with a 100 metre at full speed. In 1905 she crosses the lake during a race, a distance of 7.6 kilometres, together with her sister in 2 hours and 50 minutes. In this race she was faster than painter Philipp Ritter. Behind her 15 men gave up.

On 29 July 1906 she competed in the amateur race of the Traversée de Paris à la nage, an open water race over 11.6 kilometres in Paris. It's the second year the race is held, and the first time witn an amateur race. She finished of all categories in 12th position and finished second the women's amateur race behind of her sister Marthe Robert, ahead of the French Marie Marvingt. On 26 August, she took again part in the crossing of Lake Neuchâtel race. In the storm Robert and her sister are the only two people who finished the race. She finished second, around half an hour behind her sisterin a time of 3 hours 47.25 minutes. Fourteen other competitors gave up. In November 1906, in water of 10 degrees Celcius, Robert crosses Lake Morat with her sister.

In 1907 she competed again at the Traversée de Paris à la nage.